Comanche Indians: Migration and History

Origin of the Comanche Indians
Dating back to the early 1500s, the Comanche were originally part of the Eastern Shoshone who lived near the upper reaches of the Platte River in eastern Wyoming. However, when the Europeans entered the scene and the tribe obtained horses, they broke off from the Shoshone, with an estimated 10,000 members. Moving south, they first migrated to the central plains before continuing to move southward to an area that extended from the Arkansas River to central Texas. As they continued to migrate, the Comanche population increased dramatically due to the abundance of buffalo, an influx of Shoshone members, and the kidnapping of women and children from rival tribes and Mexican settlements.
The Comanche tribe were a formidable people located in the southern areas of the Great Plains. The Comanche tribe were renowned as excellent horsemen. They fiercely fought against enemy tribes of Native Indians and resisted the white encroachment of the Great Plains. The names of the most famous chiefs of the Comanche tribe included Chief El Sordo, Chief Buffalo Hump, Quanah Parker and Chief White Eagle.
The Comanche were a Uto-Aztecan tribe who moved into Texas from the north in the 1700's and displaced Lipan Apaches. A warlike tribe, akin to the Shoshone, they were involved in

conflicts with neighboring tribes, the Spanish, the Mexicans and the Americans. They were, however, closely allied with Kiowa tribe and later with southern bands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Scalps of their enemies were taken as trophies. Battlefield atrocities and torture were used to intimidate and humiliate enemies. Their name for themselves was 'Nermernuh' meaning the "true humans." They were great hunters and with the acquisition of the horse adopted the nomadic lifestyle, living in tepees, on the Great Plains.
Warfare was a major part of Comanche life with conflicts often bringing them into battles with the Apache and other tribal groups. Those they stole from often found it simpler and safer to buy back the stolen commodities rather than fight for them. During the 1800’s they began to steal cattle from Texas settlers and reselling them in New Mexico. All in all, during this period they fought not only the Mexicans and white settlers but also many of the other plains Indians.
The Comanche natives were accomplished horsemen and possessed by far the greatest herds.

Mustangs were captured and broken, using a variety of ingenious methods. By the 1800s the Comanche tribe were major distributors of horses other tribes and settlers. Their horses, like the Comanche warriors was often decorated with war paint. Following a battle, a triumphant Comanche warrior would apply paint to his horse so that the tribe could see at a glance the outcome of the battle from a distance. In conclusion, when a Comanche dies his horses were also killed at his death. His favorite horse was killed at the grave, so that warrior could go to the afterlife properly

mounted.